Quarrying renders land barrenPanchkula
Continuous and unchecked quarrying in the lower foothills of the Shivaliks has rendered thousands of hectares of agricultural land in more than 600 villages barren during the past over 20 years. In the face of official apathy, affluent families have been reduced to the status of farmhands and daily wage labourers.

Admn’s ‘inappropriate’ tribute to TauHisar, September 26
An over enthusiastic district administration today undid all that the late Tau stood for. It ordered students and staff of the local colleges to attend a function held in connection with the birth anniversary of the man who took pride in his ability to draw crowds.

Panipat-Safidon road upgradedPanipat, September 26
The district unit of the Haryana PWD (B and R) has launched a massive drive to improve the condition of roads, including state highways, district and other link roads. It has been planned to complete the work by the end of the year 2002.

CPM men hold demonstrationsJind, September 26
CPM activists of the district led by Mr Inderjeet Singh state unit secretary held a demonstration here today to protest against the alleged anti-people policies of the union and state governments.

Lower court to decide
eunuchs’ caseAmbala, September 26The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Dr Bharat Bhushan Prasoon, has designated to a lower court a case concerning the territorial rights of eunuchs on merits after receiving evidence from the parties concerned.

KALKA DIARYCultural
show a big drawKalkaThe first cultural programme of the season, organised by
the Government College, evoked great enthusiasm among the students.
The Principal, Mr Raj Dhawan, urged the students to take full
advantage of such events and competitions which enabled the
participants to develop their artistic talent. Those who secure first,
second and third positions in different events will be sent to the
university-level competition.

Fee for NRI seats reducedChandigarh, September 26The Technical Education Department has reduced the fee to be charged for NRI seats in various engineering, pharmacy, architecture and diploma courses in Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra; YMCA Institute of Engineering, Faridabad; CR State College of Engineering, Murthal; and government and government-aided polytechnics in the state.

Students cautioned
on raggingChandigarh, September 26Senior students of technical and professional institutions of Haryana have been advised by the Technical Education Department not to indulge in ragging as it has been declared an offence and banned by the state government.

100 criminals
arrested in YamunanagarYamunanagar, September 26
At least 100 criminals have been arrested during the “Operation Night Vigil” launched by the local police. Mr Mahender Singh
Ahalawat, SP, said here today that a campaign to check crime was launched on September 16 and would continue till September 30.

Murder accused’s property attachedBhiwani, September 26
A local court has ordered to attach the immovable property of Satpal, alias Pahadi, of Gauripur, booked for the murder of Verender and wounding others at Badhra on September 12. Pahadi has been declared a proclaimed offender.

Three kids die of burnsFaridabad, September 26
Three of the six children, who had sustained burnt-injuries due to sparkings in a high-voltage wire in Sanjay Colony here on Sunday, have succumbed to their burn
injuries. Condition of two others, who had been shifted to a Delhi hospital, is reported to be serious.

Four found guilty in murder caseFatehabad, September 26
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Darshan Singh, has found four accused guilty in a case of rape and murder but reserved the sentence till September 28.

HC orders SP to book culpritsBhiwani, September 26
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, treating a telegram sent by Mr Ramesh Masta, advocate and owner of Dronacharya Shiksha Niketan here, as a writ petition, has directed the Superintendent of Police, Bhiwani, to register a criminal case upon the complaint lodged by Mr Masta with regard to violence committed on January 27 under Sections 307, 379, 380, 411 and 452 of the Indian Penal Code against the culprits.

Panchkula
Continuous and unchecked quarrying in the lower foothills of the Shivaliks has rendered thousands of hectares of agricultural land in more than 600 villages barren during the past over 20 years. In the face of official apathy, affluent families have been reduced to the status of farmhands and daily wage labourers.

Although the extent of barrenness varies from village to village, the problem is more acute in at least 150 villages of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts which are considered ecologically fragile in this region.

Aggrieved farmers of Rampur Jhangi, Mandna, Chhamla, Mandlaya, Mushroompur, Saha, Chhachhrauli and other villages in these districts told this correspondent that residents ignored quarrying in the early stages as some influential persons were providing employment to local youths, who were mostly unskilled and had small landholdings.

With the passage of time, they realised the consequences when the river beds deepened and widened over 10 times their original dimensions which, in turn, affected irrigation — mostly by seasonal rivulets —and rendered thousands of hectares of agricultural land barren.

Moreover, massive urbanisation and deforestation in the past 15 years further endangered the ecological balance in the Shivalik foothills. Natural water sources dried up and soil erosion increased manifold. The complaints of residents in this regard to the authorities fell on deaf ears.

Farmers of the affected villages said that massive quarrying had taken place on the beds of the Sarsa, the Ghaggar, the Tangri, the Begna, the Roon, the Som and the Yamuna and their tributaries over many years, following which the water level had fallen drastically.

Though the government has launched some schemes to conserve the fragile soil and protect the agricultural land, farmers say that the “khanan mafia”, in connivance with the quarrying contractors and the mining authorities had forced many farmers to sell their property and leave for other places to earn their livelihood.

Most of the farmers are irrigating their fields with inadequate rain water available in artificial ponds and ditches. Farmers of a number of villages have also constructed bundhs on river beds and installed pumps for drawing water for irrigation.

Mr Harbans Lal Mehta, a resident of Rampur Jhangi village, near Kalka, alleged that river beds were being “arbitrarily” auctioned for quarrying by the Forest, Soil Conservation and other related departments to the “mafia” without the consent of the village panchayats concerned.

He further alleged that the “mafia” had negated the objectives of various irrigation scheme launched by the government by “aggressive and unscientific quarrying” on the river beds, thereby leading to a huge loss to the farmers and the exchequer.

The root causes of this destruction of the environment were urbanisation and the stone-crushing units which were dependent on boulders, gravel and sand as raw materials. The materials were readily available in the foothills of the Shivaliks and, in the absence of adequate checks, it was easy to extract these, he added.

Mr H.S. Lohan, Project Director of the Haryana Agriculture Department, admitted that quarrying and mining had adversely affected agricultural land in more than 100 villages in Panchkula district alone. He said that a number of villages in Ambala and Yamunanagar districts had been facing a similar problem for many years.

He, however, said that the department had, in collaboration with the Shivalik Development Board, launched various schemes like the barrier wall system which had resulted in a rise in the water level at various places. The system was
benefiting a number of villages.

More than 500 hectares was being irrigated by this technique and 40 to 50 hectares under the sub-surface dam system, he added.

Mr Ram Niwas, Director, Mining, was not available for comment. However, Mr Kuldeepak Ahuja, State Mining Engineer, said that quarrying on the river beds was being done within set parameters. The department had been keeping an eye on offenders. Quarrying on the beds of certain rivers was likely to be banned, he added.

Ms Jyoti Arora, Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, said the government had planned some projects to create water features in this area. A sum of Rs 22 crore would be spent on the projects which would not only boost tourism but also prove helpful to farmers for irrigation, she added.

Hisar, September 26
An over enthusiastic district administration today undid all that the late Tau stood for. It ordered students and staff of the local colleges to attend a function held in connection with the birth anniversary of the man who took pride in his ability to draw crowds.

Over a dozen Haryana Roadways buses were taken off their routes and sent to the colleges to ferry students and staff to the Indira Gandhi Auditorium of Haryana Agricultural University where Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was to give away prizes to winners of a declamation contest organised in memory of the late former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. They were directed to be at the auditorium at 2 p.m. whereas the function was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

On reaching the auditorium, hundreds of teachers and students were stranded outside since the hall was already full. Some of them had to be sent back because there were no seats. However, by then the buses that brought them there had already left.

Principals tried to contact the Haryana Roadways authorities but were told that the buses would not be available till after 5 p.m. Hundreds of students had to go home on foot.

A veteran Devi Lal follower who was present there said: “ All his life the Tau never tired of repeating that he was one political figure who did not have to arrange for conveyance for any of his rallies and other functions. His fans used their vehicles happily. Even as Chief Minister, he never asked his officers to use official transport for ferrying people”. The authorities could not have paid a more inappropriate tribute to the leader, he added.

Mr Chautala in his address demanded that the Chandigarh Regional Service Centre of Doordarshan should allot more time to Haryana. He, later, inaugurated a new building of the HUDA complex here.

Panipat, September 26
The district unit of the Haryana PWD (B and R) has launched a massive drive to improve the condition of roads, including state highways, district and other link roads. It has been planned to complete the work by the end of the year 2002.

According to Mr M.R. Anand, Deputy Commissioner, the total length of all roads in the district falling under the jurisdiction is 530 km. During the past three years, about 240 km of roads have already been repaired by providing pre-mix carpet, widening, strengthening, re-construction, raising, cement-concrete roads and brick paving at a cost of over Rs 6 crore.

The roads that have been repaired includes the Panipat-Safidon-Jind road, Gohana-Safidon road, Kohand-Moonak road, Samalkha-Israna road, Samalkha -Sanoli road etc. In addition to these 20 km Panipat-Safidon road have been upgraded at a cost of Rs 3 crore and the work was being carried out on
war-footing.

About 290 km of roads would be improved at an estimated cost of Rs 6.50 crore. The roads in inhabited areas of villages and towns get damaged due to discharge of water. The roads in such locations would be paved with cement-concrete. The estimates for these works have been passed and tenders have already received.

Besides this, the work of widening the Gannaur-Hapur road at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore is in progress. There is also a proposal to widen the Sanoli-Panipat road, Gohana-Safidon road, Samalkha-Beholi-Bapoli-Sanoli road and Samalkha to Seenkh via Israna.

The duration of the tour has been reduced following reservations expressed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) about the usefulness of the visit being undertaken at a time when the USA and its allies are busy making preparations to take on the Taliban in Afghanistan, following terrorist attacks on the superpower.

The ostensible purpose of Mr Chautala's visit was to woo foreign investors. A 19-member delegation of the CII was to accompany the official delegation. Earlier, the visit was to commence from September 30.

The sources say now Mr Chautala will leave India on October 6 and visit only three countries instead of six planned earlier. He will visit the U.K., France and Tunisia. He will return on October 14.

The size of the official delegation has been reduced from 15 to six. Mr Chautala will be accompanied, among others, by the Finance Minister, Prof Sampat Singh, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr S.Y. Quraishi, the Finance Secretary, Mr A.N. Mathur; and the Managing-Director of the Haryana Industries Development Corporation, Dr Harbaksh Singh.

The sources said meetings had already been fixed with foreign investors in these three countries. Therefore, it would have been embarrassing to cancel the visit at this stage. Already the visit has been postponed twice.

Jind, September 26
CPM activists of the district led by Mr Inderjeet Singh state unit secretary held a demonstration here today to protest against the alleged anti-people policies of the union and state governments.

Earlier they organised a public meeting in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner.

Criticising the Vajpayee government, Mr Inderjeet Singh alleged that before coming to power the BJP had promised that it would eliminate corruption at all levels but the Vajpayee government had failed to fulfil its promise and corruption was rampant even at higher levels.

Mr Inderjeet Singh alleged that the Chautala government was not serious about the completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal.

He said since the elections to the Punjab Assembly was near and to give benefit to Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Mr Chautala was not pressurising the Union Government for the early completion of the SYL.

Mr Phool Singh Sheokand, senior CPM leader and vice-president of the Haryana Kisan Sabha State unit said the farmers were facing great hardship as the cost of production had increased considerably, but remunerative prices were not being given to the farmers.

Mr Sheokand alleged that the Chautala government had increased the rates of power, imposed various taxes and introduced fees in the government hospital, putting burden on the poor people of the state. He said Mr Chautala instead of solving the problems of the people of the state was busy organising public meetings in Uttar Pradesh for gaining popularity.

FATEHABAD: On a call given by their central committee, CPM workers organised a demonstration and tried to court arrest by gheraoing government offices.

They organised a rally in the local Ambedkar Park. Former MLA Harpal Singh presided over the rally. Senior CPM leaders, Mr Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria, Mr Krishan Swaroop and Mr Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria addressed party workers. They alleged that the Prime Minister had been playing into the hands of the American Government.

CPM activists went to the Mini Secretariat here in the afternoon. They also gheraoed the telephone exchange building.

Ambala, September 26
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Dr Bharat Bhushan Prasoon, has designated to a lower court a case concerning the territorial rights of eunuchs on merits after receiving evidence from the parties concerned.

The case was a regular civil appeal against an order through which the suit of the appellant plaintiff seeking a decree of permanent injunction against the defendant regarding interference in her customary rights of singing and dancing at the time of marriages and births was dismissed, being not maintainable. Mr J.S. Kohli was the advocate for the appellant.

The judgement states that the facts of the case, as presented by the plaintiff, are that the plaintiff is a resident of Ambala City and eunuch by birth and exercising customary rights of singing and dancing, were brought up by Malika Rani, neuter gender. She died on August 16, 1990, bequeathing her customary rights of singing and dancing in particular areas of the city.

Jyoti eunuch, chela of the plaintiff residing in Dayal Bagh, part of area of operation of the plaintiff and engaged in the customary avocation of singing and dancing, pursuant to a compromise arrived at between one Paro Chela of Kalu, had got a particular area for the plaintiff. The plaintiff has been exercising these customary rights for the past six months.

The defendants started interfering in the exercise of such rights by the plaintiff in the allocated areas. The matter went to the brotherhood.

The judgement states “when existence of propounded customs has been admitted by the defendants, it remains a matter of evidence as to whether as per the said custom the plaintiff or the defendants have a right to carry on the customary avocation of dancing and singing on the happy occasions such as marriages and births and in turn receiving Bakshish from the respective Jajmans of their areas.”

The judgement further states it would be worth notice that the neuter gender has admitted customary practice of dancing and singing on happy occasions and their entry in other avocations and business though may not be strictly prohibited, but may not be a welcome move.

Kalka
The first cultural programme of the season, organised by the
Government College, evoked great enthusiasm among the students. The
Principal, Mr Raj Dhawan, urged the students to take full advantage of
such events and competitions which enabled the participants to develop
their artistic talent. Those who secure first, second and third
positions in different events will be sent to the university-level
competition.

***

The President of the HMT Kramik Sangh has demanded that if the Central Government helps the Pinjore unit with Rs 50 crore under its revival plan, the employees will do their best to put life into the unit. A charter of demands was given to the Central Minister, Mr Manohar Joshi, with the request that if these demands were accepted, the employees will do their best to increase production.

According to the Kramik Sangh, the employees of the Pinjore unit have been working on wages fixed in 1992 and the benefit of wage revision in 1997 was not extended to them.

The HMT Officers Association has welcomed the decision of the Central Government not to hand over this unit to the private sector. The association has demanded that an engineering college should be started on the HMT campus for the benefit of the employees. The association has also demanded implementation of the report of Justice Mohan Committee regarding wage revision.

***

A bandh was observed in the town on September 24, on a call given by the local Beopar Mandal and the Congress Party, to protest against house tax notices served on the residents. All shopkeepers, including halwais, vegetable vendors, dhabas and tea stalls abstained from business.

At a public meeting at Gandhi Chowk different leaders criticised the state government. The speakers pointed out that the new tax affected the poor who found it difficult to make their both ends meet.

Mr Chander Mohan, who represents Kalka in the Vidhan Sabha, said that the Chautala government was bent upon crushing the public with heavy taxes. He said that the present Government was intentionally depriving the Kalka area of any development work.

Later the meeting formed itself into a procession and went to the office of the SDM and handed him a memorandum of demands.

***

A two-day seminar on science and mathematics organised by the Junior Wing of DAV concluded on September 23. The main object of the seminar was to lay stress on the role of science and mathematics in colleges.

The seminar was held at DAV Public School, Surajpur, and 50 teachers from 12 colleges of Chandigarh and Ambala zone participated in it. Mr R.C. Jeevan was the chief guest while, Mr P.L. Chopra presided.

***

Bharat Vikas Parishad organised a national group song competition
in which 12 schools of Kalka and Parwanoo participated. Mr Man Mohan
Anand of Purolator Filters was the chief guest and Dr D.K. Sharma
presided over the function. In the senior groups, Hindu Girls Senior
Secondary School, Kalka, won the first position and the second
position went to Arya Kanya School.

Chandigarh, September 26
The Technical Education Department has reduced the fee to be charged for NRI seats in various engineering, pharmacy, architecture and diploma courses in Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra; YMCA Institute of Engineering, Faridabad; CR State College of Engineering, Murthal; and government and government-aided polytechnics in the state.

The Dircector of Technical Education, Mr M.P. Gupta, said here today that it was for the first time this year that 5 per cent seats in government and government-aided technical and professional institutes had been allowed for NRIs.

For engineering degrees, the tuition fee had been reduced from $ 5,000 to $ 2,500. For MBA and MCA courses, the tuition fee for the NRI seats would be $ 750, while for B. Pharmacy and B. Arch courses, the fee had been fixed at $ 1,500.

Mr Gupta said various diploma courses had been divided into three groups. Group I included IT-related courses like diploma in electronics and communication engineering, computer engineering and information technology. In Group II would fall all diploma courses except IT related courses, civil engineering and architectural engineering. Group III would include civil engineering and architectural engineering courses. The existing fee for the NRI seats for all these diploma courses was $ 2,000. Now the fee for Group I courses would be $ 800, for Group II courses $ 700 and for Group III courses $ 600.

Chandigarh, September 26
Senior students of technical and professional institutions of Haryana have been advised by the Technical Education Department not to indulge in ragging as it has been declared an offence and banned by the state government.

The principals have been asked to ensure round-the-clock vigil in the hostels and institutions and take strict disciplinary action against all students found indulging in ragging. The punishment includes suspension or expulsion from the institution as well as hostel apart from lodging an FIR against the offenders.

At times outsiders, who are not on the rolls of the institution, also enter the institution and try to harass first-year students in the name of ragging. Such outsiders will be handed over to the police. The department advised the first-year students to contact the authorities, including the Director, Technical Education, to bring any case of ragging to their notice immediately.

Yamunanagar, September 26
At least 100 criminals have been arrested during the “Operation Night Vigil” launched by the local police. Mr Mahender Singh
Ahalawat, SP, said here today that a campaign to check crime was launched on September 16 and would continue till September 30.

Giving details of this operation Mr Ahalawat said that two teams under the leadership of
DSPs, four teams under the leadership in inspectors, 13 teams under the SHOs concerned had been formed to keep a check on anti-social elements.

Mr Ahalawat also said that goods worth Rs 1.26 lakh which includes one trolley iron rods, cash three-country-made pistol, four knives and two cartridges had been seized. Seven criminals had been arrested, 7428 pouches and 113 bottles of liquor recovered under the Excise Act. He also said that 60 cases had been registered under gambling Act.

Bhiwani, September 26
A local court has ordered to attach the immovable property of Satpal, alias Pahadi, of Gauripur, booked for the murder of Verender and wounding others at Badhra on September 12. Pahadi has been declared a proclaimed offender.

The district police chief, Dr Suman Manjri, told mediapersons here yesterday that of the nine accused, Baljeet of Jewali, Vijay Mud of Dangar, Anil of Kakroli Sardara, Badlu and Dhanphool had been arrested. Badlu and Dhan Phool, however, got bail, while the remaining accused were sent in judicial custody.

The SP said the Revenue Department had been directed to attach the immovable property of
Pahadi.

Faridabad, September 26
Three of the six children, who had sustained burnt-injuries due to sparkings in a high-voltage wire in Sanjay Colony here on Sunday, have succumbed to their burn
injuries. Condition of two others, who had been shifted to a Delhi hospital, is reported to be serious.

According to information, while one of the victim Pankaj (10) died on Monday night, Rahul (11) and cousin Neeraj died in the Safdurjang Hospital yesterday. Two others Alok (16) and Narender (12) are undergoing treatment there. The sixth victim Rajesh (7) is being treated at the Civil Hospital here. It may be recalled that these children had been playing in ‘F’ block of the colony when massive sparking took place just near them reportedly due to a heavy object tied with a rope thrown by one of the children on the wire.

Fatehabad, September 26
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Darshan Singh, has found four accused guilty in a case of rape and murder but reserved the sentence till September 28. The four were alleged to have confined a mother and her daughter in illegal custody on January 23, 1998 and raped the two and then murdered the mother. The convicts are Bhajan Singh, a farmer from Nagpur Dhani village, his wife Shailo Bai, and their two sons, Mukhtiar Singh and Teetri.

The victim, Banso Bai, had borrowed Rs 10,000 from Bhajan Singh but was not able to repay the debt in time. On the fateful night, the accused went to the house of the victim and abducted Banso Bai, her young daughter, Paramjeet Kaur, son Surjeet Singh and Surjeet’s aunt, Chhindo. They were kept under illegal confinement by the
accused. During the night, Mukhtiar Singh and Teetri allegedly raped the mother and her daughter. Later, they killed Banso Bai.

Bhiwani, September 26
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, treating a telegram sent by Mr Ramesh Masta, advocate and owner of Dronacharya Shiksha Niketan here, as a writ petition, has directed the Superintendent of Police, Bhiwani, to register a criminal case upon the complaint lodged by Mr Masta with regard to violence committed on January 27 under Sections 307, 379, 380, 411 and 452 of the Indian Penal Code against the culprits.

The court has further directed the police to provide help to the petitioner for the protection of his and his students’ lives and the school property. A copy of another order passed by the court of Ms Vivek Bharti, Civil Judge, Senior Division, here was showed to the mediapersons here today by Mr Masta in which the respondents Karmbir and others were restrained from interfering in the peaceful possession of Mr Masta over the suit land.

Kaithal, September 26
The police has busted a gang of extortionists who had been making threatening calls to a local surgeon, demanding Rs 5 lakh. Addressing media persons here yesterday the SP said the miscreants had asked Dr S.N. Singla to pay Rs 5 lakh.

The calls were made from a mobile phone. Investigations revealed that the culprits had purchased a cash mobile card phone from a local dealer.

Ambala, September 26
A man was killed after he was attacked by a few persons in Topekhana, Ambala cantonment, last night. The incident took place at about 10.30 p.m. when Naresh Kumar had a verbal altercation with four youths over some matter. Later, the youths reportedly took Naresh Kumar to a nearby spot where they attacked him with sharpedged weapons.